Beyond The Past
by devilfromsnow
Summary: AU. She watched her world shattered, and moving on was all she could do. Mogami Kyoko is now a police detective who fights for justice. What will happen when Tsuruga Ren, a suspect in her latest investigation, walks into her life, and she couldn't resist?
1. Prologue

**A/N:** This is a new story from me. Enjoy =)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat!

Special thanks to **_Elfnftzu_** (aka Nikholas F. Toledo Zu) for beta-reading, making this presentable. And **_shizu2_** for advices.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Takarada Lory, the Commander of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) Homicide, contemplated it as he stood examining Mogami Tatsuya, forty-year-old. Dead.

His dark hair spread out on the blood-tainted silk pillow, his cheeks were bloodlessly white, with a tinge of blue that death often left them. His eyes were open, still and wide with shock that his life was taken in a flash.

He'd worn a pair of white pajamas. A color that reflected purity, yet it contrasted starkly with the blood on it. One of his arms was outstretched.

_To fight back?_ Lory mused. No. Not fast enough. Not quite.

His throat had been viciously slashed.

The blood spatter and the scene itself had told him that. His killer had stepped into the room while he was sleeping, walked to the bed, yanked his head up, and raked a sharp knife across his throat—left to right—quick and neat. It severed the jugular in an instant, damaging the main artery, cutting off the main blood supply to the brain.

He looked closely at the body. There were no signs of struggle, no defensive wounds. The victim did not have time to react.

The death was quick and the pain was short. But, hell, it doesn't make murder any better.

He leaned back just as Sawara Takenori walked into the room.

"Commander!" The man's eyes widen in surprise.

"Why'd you—" He stopped immediately when Lory lifted his hand.

"I was informed, Lieutenant. The media got a whiff of this and they jumped on it like a pack of bloodhounds. It was all over the news."

Takenori could see pity in his eyes when he turned his head towards the body,

"I knew this man, Takenori. I'd met him on several formal occasions and we're acquainted." He squared his shoulders. "I felt…compelled, to come. He's a good man, a good husband, and a good father."

"A good judge, too."

"Yes." He paused. "It is hard to find someone like him nowadays. He had been a reputable judge, solid. It's a shame to lose him."

Then, his dark eyes, turned cold.

"I want to know who could do such thing to this man."

"It's not a burglary went wrong, sir." He motioned to the expensive gold watch and the wallet on the nightstand. "And there were six hundred of dollars in the drawer, wife's diamond earrings and pearls. None of them were taken."

Lory nodded. "He's a judge, and a fair one. I wouldn't be surprised if it's linked to one of the cases that were put on trial in his courtroom."

He looked around the room. "What have you got so far?"

"I did a recon on the cases he closed and had pending for the last five years. I would need to do a cross-check to see if any name comes up." Takenori said.

"Make it ten. Revenge takes time. And a multiple murders like this? It takes strong hatred, planning and skills."

"Yes, sir."

But the murder did not end there.

They walked out from the room and to the next one...

The room had been painted in girlish pink, the bed was filled with fluffy stuffed toys. The man pondered over the lifeless body of Mogami Saena, thirty-eight-years-old, dead. She had been pretty once. Her hair, which was as dark as her husband, was spread out prettily on her pillow. Her eyes were closed, but he imagined them to be filled with shock and fear right before she closed them.

He pursed his lips together when he looked at another body, which was relatively small, curled up beside her mother. Dead, too.

He stood for the dead, and he worked with them long enough for them not to haunt him. Still, the sight of an innocent child lying dead was hard. It was always difficult when it involved a minor. When he looked down, he saw the petite face framed by soft black hair, hands and a body that were so small, so fragile. Lifeless.

Their hearts had been stabbed.

The Commander bent down on his side to study it. From the small amount of blood it resulted, he could say it was certainly quick, and tidy. Ninety-degree, perpendicular to the heart, a straight shot. The victim would have had no time to comprehend what was happening. Same as the first, there were no signs of struggle or any defensive wounds.

One stab, and they're gone.

"The security of the house is good. In fact, the system is currently the best on the market. There was no forced entry, no alarms tripped. I figure it was either the Mogamis knew them, or they had a decoder for that."

Lory looked at him intently. "They, you said."

"Yes, sir." The man nodded. "It was the work of professionals. The timing was slick and there wasn't any unnecessary violence. It was cold. I don't feel anything personal in this act. And I figure there's more than one. Perhaps a team, specially trained. This is not the work of an amateur."

"But killing a family—at the same time—is personal."

"If it's a hired job. Then my bet would be on the person who hired them."

"There's my guess, too."

When he turned around, he saw Takenori staring at the bodies. His expression was grim.

"It's always hard when it's children." Lory said.

Takenori sighed. "Yes. She's still a kid."

"What was she? Five-year-old?"

"No, sir. She's six. Mogami Akira." He paused.

Two uniforms had stood by to secure and record the scene. Crime Scene was diligently carrying out their hideous duty to search for anything left by the murderers.

"Any luck?" He asked one of the forensic sweepers, Matsushima.

"Commander." The man stood. "We didn't find a single hair or cell here, whoever did this was pretty thorough."

Lory nodded in agreement, "Professionals."

Their heads snapped up when they heard someone calling from the corridor. There was urgency in his voice.

"Commander! Lieutenant!" A man in uniform reached the room and winced when he saw the bodies on the bed.

"What is it?" Lory asked.

"There's a girl in the garden."

"What?" He turned to Takenori, his gaze pinned on him. "Who called it in?"

"Sir, I have not—"

"Move!"

* * *

><p>Japan is located in eastern Asia, at the North Pacific Ocean. As much a beautiful island as itself, it was currently under the attack of the merciless September monsoon. Strong rain and winds had caused the trees to sway violently on the sidewalk, casting ghostly shadows under the pulsing street light.<p>

However, the bad weather did not have the slightest effect on the girl who had sneaked out from the school's hostel.

Mogami Kyoko smiled when she settled herself into the backseat of the cab. She was going to see her father soon. Her thirteenth-birthday would be next week and she wondered where he'd planned to take her on that day. She would give him a surprise!

She grinned as she thought of the expressions that would appear on her father's face. She can't wait to see him!

After she came out of the cab, she went to ring the doorbell. Her hand stopped in the mid-air as she saw the door in front of her left ajar.

She pushed the wooden door lightly and found the house to be in complete darkness. Are they asleep? She thought. But it was weird that corridor light was off too. Her stepmother had always kept the low light on.

She walked into the front foyer after her golden eyes adjusted to the dark. She was dead quiet when she walked up the staircases, she wouldn't want to wake them up if they were sleeping.

She was disappointed, though. She pouted.

The master bedroom was the first one on the right. Again, the door was carelessly left opened.

In the shadows, she snuck into the room. She was deciding whether to wake her father up when she heard a noise from the bed. She quickly dived into the extensive wardrobe behind the door.

She poked her head out and saw movement.

Her father was sleeping soundly on the bed, under the blanket. In the darkness, was a man standing beside the bed.

She angled her head further, and saw the man reached out.

He slit her father's throat.

She closed a hand over her mouth, her breath hitched. She reared back into the wardrobe, pressing her back hard to the wall. Her body shook with fear. Her heart was racing in her chest.

Tears spilled out from her eyes, down her palm, falling soundlessly onto the floor.

Then the man walked out, right passed her, and left.

She waited for a moment before she slumped down onto the floor. Her body continued to tremble. In fear, in shock, or in sadness, she doesn't know. She just keep rocking herself on the ground, crying quietly.

When she heard no other sound, she stood up. By sheer will alone, she dragged herself across the bedroom to the bed. Her legs were wobbling but she didn't care, didn't stop.

She let out a sob when she saw her father. She reached her hand forward, to touch him, to wake him up, to make him to tell her that it was only a joke. And only to find her hands covered in something warm.

Blood.

Through the moonlight that shone through the window, she stared at the bed.

He was covered in blood.

* * *

><p>Lory pushed aside the thick bush, and found himself looking at the trembling form of a child.<p>

"Mogami Kyoko." He spoke calmly. His cop eyes searched the girl's body and relieved to know that none of the blood belonged to her.

"Kyoko." He crouched and carefully tapped the girl's shoulder.

She winced at the contact and cringed back further. "No…No…No…No…" She continued to mumble.

Lory took out his badge and showed it to her. "I'm Takarada Lory. I'm a police. You are safe now, Kyoko."

He could see her stiffen, and glanced up cautiously. Her golden brown eyes were glazed, glistening with tears.

"It's okay. I can help you." He reached out a hand.

She shook her head. "No…No…No… They're here. They're here. They're here…"

_They?_ Lory's eyebrow lifted. So there's really more than one.

"They're gone, Kyoko. You are safe." He reached out a hand again.

"They killed. They—They—They killed…They killed…I saw…" Her voice hitched. "Otou-san."

Lory leaned forward, and pulled her into his arms.

"They killed mother too…And—And Akira…Akira-chan…They…Otou-san…"

He held her tightly. "I'm sorry, Kyoko. I'm sorry. They're gone now. You don't need to be afraid."

Behind her, he signaled for Takenori to bring in the medics.

"They—I saw…I saw…Blood, everywhere. Blood." She looked down at her smeared hands.

"Blood."

"Kyo— "

"They're dead." She said. Her voice was scarcely audible.

Lory just looked at her. He didn't know what to say.

"They...They're dead, aren't they. I was too slow. I can't help. I should—"

He stopped her. "No, Kyoko. You did right. You called us. Your father would want you to do that."

And at the mention of her father, she broke. She burst into tears and cried soundly in his arms. Lory's heart ached for the girl. So young, he thought. So young to witness such cruelty, so young to walk through her family's blood, so young to lose everything.

"I promise you, Kyoko."

He looked into her eyes.

"I will find them. For you. For justice."


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat!

Special thanks to _**Elfnftzu**_ for beta-reading, making it readable, so that you guys would not have eyesore later xD

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 <strong>

The sky was still dark when she woke. Shuddering, clammy and fighting to breathe. Through the curtain of the window, a somber hint of streetlight slipped, casting murky shadows on her bed. Her body continued to tremble as she crawled up to sit on the edge of the bed. For a moment she sat there, with her sweaty forehead pressed against her knees, trying to calm down while the dream faded.

It was the same dream. One which had haunted her for thirteen years.

All the blood, she thought, as she looked at her hands, never went away. But she knew it was no use to dwell on the past, she had to push it aside. Brushing away the cold tears, she got out of bed.

It was shy of five in the morning when she took her shower. She stood still under the spray, letting the cold stream of water fall listlessly over her face, her body, to wash away the dream.

She was taking a mug of hot coffee from the kitchen when her communicator flashed. It then announced in a cold, female tone:

"Dispatch, Lieutenant Mogami Kyoko. Incident at Fifty-Seven Uptown Shibuya, seventeenth floor. Homicide. Female"

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, 0530 hours.<strong>

The morning air of Tokyo in 2020 was fresh and enlivening. The sun had began its ascent, bringing along its warm light to clear the thick clouds that hovered overhead. Even at this hour there were people setting up food carts and stores at the roadside, filling the air with the scent of sukiyaki noodles, ramen and simple sushi. However few, there were also casually dressed pedestrians chatting with each other or busy indulging themselves in steaming ramen to start the day. And much to Kyoko's delight, the traffic was clear and smooth.

Nothing worse than getting stuck in heavy traffic, drowned in the sea of horns and vehicles.

As she parked her car outside the building, she took time to study the building and the surroundings before stepping onto the sidewalk. There was a row of shops beside the building that were still closed and a park on the opposite side, which was currently occupied by a few people who were taking a brisk walk, unaware that something horrible had taken place in their neighborhood. The environment looked friendly, she mused. Calm and peaceful.

The building itself looked dignified, twenty floors of gleaming metals and tinted glasses. Statues that made from white stones stood guard on either side of the entrance and a flight of stone steps.

She showed her badge to the uniformed officer guarding the entrance.

"Lieutenant." He saluted.

She returned the salute and asked, "First on scene, officer?"

"I wasn't, sir. We have a homicide in suite number Seventeen-one-two, seventeenth floor, female victim. Detective Amamiya is inside waiting for you." He led her down the hallway to one of the elevators.

She studied the hall. The security was high-end, with full cameras at all possible angles, card detectors, palm screens and two guards at the reception. It was safe to say that this place was secured and protected.

Still, a woman died in her own suite.

She stepped out of the elevator alone and wasn't surprised that the narrow hallway was once again, equipped with full cameras. She walked soundlessly on the carpeted floor approaching 1712.

She held her badge up again to show the officer guarding the room, and entered.

Crime Scene had beaten her to the suite. They were dusting off fingerprints and bagging whatever looked suspicious. She gave the room a quick survey. Good furniture—an L-shaped sofa in the color of maroon, a 40-inch wall screen, long windows that held the view of the city and scented white candles on every tables. A woman with taste and knew exactly how to enjoy.

She was one step into the kitchen when her partner, Senior Detective Amamiya Chiori, called her.

"Sir." She bowed her head lightly. Although she was Kyoko's partner, she was still two-ranks lower than her. Well, not that she had any grudges against that, in fact, she respected Kyoko.

Kyoko was young for her rank, twenty-six for the title of Lieutenant. To Chiori, she was the epitome of intelligence and grace, even as a police officer. She had a brain that can think and respond quickly and effectively, reflexes that put even her trainer in awe. She had a pair of golden eyes that was steel cold when it came to cases, long black hair that was tied back in a ponytail for convenience rather than fashion, and a face that was slim and pretty. Despite all that, she had a reputation in the force. And when she locked her gaze on you, you knew she'd earned it.

She had been her partner for one full year, and she could say they are friends. However, Chiori still didn't know much about her, except for the fact that she was an orphan. But either way, she was grateful to Kyoko for choosing her as her partner.

"Who's the victim?"

"The victim was identified as Izumi Mai." She waited, staring hopefully at her partner.

Nothing.

"Izumi Mai, sir. _The _Izumi Mai." She prompted.

And nothing.

Let out an exasperated sigh, she mumbled. "I shouldn't expect it…"

"Who?" Kyoko asked. Genuinely clueless.

"Izumi Mai, sir. Twenty-two-year-old, the daughter of the president of Izumi Corporate, and a model who had been listed as one of the Rising Stars in The Magazine."

And neither rang any bells in her head.

"We'll get to the bio later. Who's that woman?" She titled her head to the direction where a woman was sunk in a chair, crying. Her face was pale and ravaged with tears. She had a mane of brown hair, which framed her face with soft curls. She wore a white-collar suit and a grey tight skirt. Her right hand, which was holding a cup of water, was trembling.

"Takashi Ayano. She's the one who called it in. Claimed to be the victim's manager."

"Talk to her, Amamiya. See if you can get anything out. We need the daily schedule of the victim."

"Yes, sir."

She turned, and walked into the bathroom.

Death always left a mess behind, and it certainly did in this case. The violence, the brutality and the cruelty of it were clear.

The metallic smell of blood hung in the air. Blood had splattered and begrimed the gleaming beige tiles. It had showered over the white bathtub, where a hand hung lifelessly over the edge, with blood dripping slowly onto the floor.

The water inside was dark and bloody. The body that lay inside the dreary red water had its head on the bath pillow. The head was tilted back just enough to reveal the vicious gaping wound at the throat. The blood had bled down her neck, down her chest, and into the water.

Her eyes were open, still and wide. She didn't have the chance to close them. And never would.

For an instant, Kyoko stared and saw her father. Laying on the bed, slashed throat and the blood—Blood—

She closed her eyes, and wanted to get out from the bathroom when a hand tapped on her shoulder.

She jerked.

"Sir? Kyoko-san?" Chiori took a step back, taken aback by her reaction.

Her eyes snapped open. _No_. Not her father. Not now. No.

She pushed the thought aside.

"Kyoko?" Amamiya looked at her, worried.

"I'm alright. I'm okay." She took a deep breath. "Let's get to work."

"Yes, sir."

She slipped on a pair of gloves, sealing her hands and walked over to the bathtub.

"Record the scene." She told Chiori. And went back to the body after her partner had turned on the recorder.

"Victim identified as Izumi Mai. Japanese, twenty-two-year-old. She was found in her bathroom at the apartment by her manager, Takashi Ayano." She leaned over the tub to examine the neck wound. "Preliminary visual exam indicates that death was caused by a sharp instrument that slit the throat, severing jugular. Instant death." She checked the hand of the body, and around the tub. "There was no signs of relocating the body, primary crime scene would be here." She stopped when she sensed another presence in the room.

She swirled around and found Fuwa Shotaro standing at the doorway. He was a handsome man in his late twenties. His blond hair shone under the bathroom light, he was tall and his lean body wrapped in a black suit under a white coat. He was the Chief Medical Examiner of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

Looking at him, she often wondered why he'd settled for a not-so-pleasant job like this instead of being an artist. Well, she wouldn't deny that he had the potential. He was already famous in the department after all.

"Nasty." He said, looking at her.

She shrugged. "Death always does that."

She smiled at his assistant when she stepped into the room right after him.

"Good morning, Mogami-san, Amamiya-san." She nodded and returned the smile.

"Morning."

"Shoko-san, it's been a while. Where'd you been?" Chiori asked.

"Ah. I was on vacation at—"

"Stop the chit-chat, ladies, we're not here to party." He glanced at them and walked towards the body. "Go away, Lieutenant. Let me do my job."

Her eyes narrowed. "Manners, Fuwa Shotaro. You don't want me to put a stunner to your neck."

His lips twitched. "It's Fuwa Sho."

She gave him a sly smile. "Is that a request?"

He snorted, and turned around to lift the body out of the bathtub with the help of his assistant.

They lay the body on the tiles, and Aki covered her with a black sheet. Sho took his instruments out from the case. "Time of death is estimated at twelve to two in the morning. Based on the temperature of the body and the water, she was in the tub pre-mortem."

He moved closer to the neck. "The throat wound is six inches across." He measured it competently while Aki recorded all the measurements. He used another tool, which was relatively thinner. "The depth is approximately one-point-five inches."

"Ouch." Chiori said.

"One cut, and she's gone." Kyoko commented. "The killer had to be strong enough to do that."

"A man."

"Hmm…" Kyoko put a hand under her chin and leaned over his shoulder to get a better look.

"Stand aside, woman. You're blocking my light." He said without turning his head.

She frowned at him but decided to take a step back. It wasn't wise to anger the doctor, since she needed the result.

He put a metal calipers on the wound. "A knife, approximately seven to nine inches long, at least three inches wide." He stopped to check the other parts of the body. "No signs of struggle or defensive wounds."

Kyoko looked over to her partner. "The security?"

"All the security discs from the main hall and the corridor had been sent to the Electronics Department. Sweepers said there was no forced entry, or any fingerprints other than the victim's."

Kyoko frowned. "So we can assume the victim knew the killer, opened the door, let him in voluntarily. And we know that this guy was careful and thorough, he may also have sealed his hands before coming over. He had it all planned." She paused, and looked out into the bedroom.

Empty wine glasses were placed on the nightstand, tangled bed sheet and dead white waxes at every corner. When her eyes drifted back into the bathroom, there were once again, white candles—half-burned, at every corner.

"A ceremony." She said.

"And it's only the beginning."

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, 1300 hours. Tokyo Police Headquarters. Homicide Department.<strong>

Lieutenant Mogami Kyoko was sitting behind her desk in her office with her brows knitted. She had read all the reports.

Not good.

Based on the autopsy report from Fuwa Sho, the victim was killed at one-fifteen in the morning and had engaged in sexual activity the hour before she was killed. However, there was no sperm found in the her body. Much to her chagrin, there was no luck with the result from the forensic sweepers either.

So the only reason she'd came up with was the victim's birth control had eliminated all of them after ejaculation.

The tox report had indicated there was drug in the victim's system. A chemical that had yet to be identified. Probably homemade.

From the sweepers' report, there weren't any other fingerprints found except for the victim's in the whole apartment. There was no sign of the murder weapon.

No blood, no DNA, no weapon.

Sighing, she put a hand at the bridge of her nose, suppressing the headache that was coming up.

After a while, she flipped open the third folder. It was from the lab.

The wine had been drugged too, with the same chemical found in the body. The killer had used it to weaken her, lower her resistance. Was he incapable of holding her down if she fought? Disabled? However, the amount of it used was just enough to keep her conscious.

He wanted her to be alive when he raked the knife across her throat.

He wanted her to _watch._

Disgusted, she moved on to the next page.

All the candles that found in the crime site were made from the same materials, same manufacturer. Whether the victim or the killer bought them, it was worth a shot. They could get lucky with this.

Lastly, she slipped the security disc into her computer. The fifth time.

_Shibuya Building. Entrance A. 15/4/2020 20:00_

Kyoko fast-forwarded the time to 23:45 and watched the glitch happened at exactly 23:47. The whole screen had gone black, and shifted back to normal at 01:55.

Precisely two hours and eight minutes lost.

She ejected the disc and inserted a new one.

It was the same for all. Nearly two hours and more had been cleverly wiped clean.

And he had spent almost one and a half hour with her before the murder. Why? He wanted the process and the stage. And why chose white candles? Ritual killing? Hmm…No, she thought. There wasn't anything religious about the scene. It was a ceremony, perhaps from the killer's perspective.

Kyoko walked over to the window, looked down at the miserable traffic and the busy pedestrians. _So the man understood security and electronics_, she mused. No ordinary man could do something like this. Aside from the glitch, he had to bypass the coded main door, the palm screen and the card detectors. And since the Electronics Department was having a hard time to revive the lost timeframe, she could make a conjecture that his man was a professional in this area.

Besides, he had to have certain medical knowledge to make the drug. The composition and dosage. Doctor? Pharmacist? Drug dealer?

She was about to sit down when Chiori knocked, and entered her office with one cup of steaming coffee in her hand and a file in the other.

"Thank you, Amamiya. Finished your interview with Takashi-san?" She drank the coffee and enjoyed the sensation of it clearing her harried brain.

"Yes." She handed her the blue file.

"Here's the report. The thing is…" She sat down in one of the guest chair. "We might get to interview a lot of stars."

Kyoko looked up from the report, amused. "There are stars every night, Amamiya. Get a telescope and you can see them clearly."

She pouted. "I was talking about human stars, sir. Artists. As in singers, models, actors and actresses."

Kyoko laughed. "I'm not bringing you to any of the interviews."

"Ehhh? No way, Kyoko-san, I have to—No, sir, I mean, WE have to go." She leaned forward, "It's a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Kyoko-san! We can meet—"

Kyoko closed the file. "Tsuruga Ren?"

Chiori's eyes widen. "Yes! Yes! Tsuruga Ren. _The_ Tsuruga Ren. You know him?"

She nodded. "Not personally. I'd only seen him in television and billboards. He's quite famous."

"_Very_ famous. He is the Top Actor in Japan and ranked number one as Japan Most Desirable Man." Chiori's eyes were sparkled in excitement.

"Amamiya-san" Kyoko put both of her hands on the desk.

"He was mentioned in the report." She said calmly.

"Yes." Chiori nodded.

"He had a dinner with the victim before she got killed."

"Ah..."

She saw her partner frowned and realization took over. The amusement was gone and Kyoko's eyes turned dead cold.

"He is a suspect."

"…Yes, sir." Chiori's shoulder slumped.

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, 1500 hours. Tokyo Police Headquarters. Homicide Department.<strong>

Kyoko was alone in her office again after she had sent off Amamiya to track the names of the people who bought candles of the same brand and do some cross-checking. It was going to take quite some time.

Holding her cooled coffee in hand, she turned to her computer and switched on Voice Command.

"Computer, display data of Tsuruga Ren, Japanese Actor."

She took a sip as the data brought on screen.

**_Tsuruga Ren, born 10-02-1990, ID number 942119-06-JLP, parents unknown, no given address, marital status is single. Debuted in 2005, age of fifteen, as a model. Debuted in 2005, age of fifteen, as an actor. _**

**_2005 – The Man_**

**_2005 – Why_**

**_2005 – Fly To The Sky_**

**_2006 – Poison_**

**_2006 – Deadly Message_**

"Stop." The data paused.

"Computer, is Tsuruga Ren a stage name?"

**_Unknown._**

Her brows furrowed. "Place of birth?"

**_Unknown._**

"Education?"

**_No data._**

"Medical Record?"

**_2007—Second degree stomach inflammation. Admitted for—_**

"Criminal Record?"

**_No data._**

She scowled at the screen. _What? Might as well be an alien_, she thought.

Sighing. "Computer, save all data to disc and end operation."

She stood up, and walked to her windows again with the humming sound of her computer in the background.

Across the street, Tsuruga Ren stared back at her from the billboard. He was unnaturally handsome, she thought. He had an aesthetic face, with refined cheekbones and sculpted mouth. His hair was dark and a few stands of it were resting against his forehead, framing his face. He wore a suit for the advertisement, black and sleek, over his tall and rangy form. And not to mention his eyes, the Celtic blue of them carried such intensity that could make you melt.

She stood there contemplating. This was a man who carried power and authority. But would he kill? For what purpose?

She was going to meet him.

_Soon._

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: _**For those who'd asked, I am NOT abandoning "Strangers In Dark". Just facing some blocks right now TT But I'd started writing chapter 8, hopefully those blocks will be gone by then. So please bear with me for a while ne~ *bow*

Thank you to those who'd reviewed, faved, alerted this story. Thank you! xDDD


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat!

Thanks to **_Elfnftzu_** for beta-reading. He was a victim to my forever-changing-mind in writing (lol) as I sent him a second version of this chapter AFTER he was finished with the first one, meaning more works for him. *bow*

_Interficere_: Yes I'd done some researches. But I imagined the scene myself. My imagination is good in this particular area lol. (and only for this area...*sigh*)

_Serina_: I read them too. They're one of my favorites!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Friday, 2030 hours.**

Kyoko tucked herself in her home office to study the case files. After hitting so many dead ends, she'd decided to start from the very beginning. Fresh.

She brought up the information on Izumi Mai and narrowed her eyes as the data flashed onto the screen of her computer.

Her father was Izumi Masaki, the president and CEO of Izumi Corporate. It was a leading industrial enterprise with diverse and global interest in automotive. The company had expanded beyond Japan. It has international presence in Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and United States. The estimated gross worth was eleven-point-nine-billion.

She lifted a brow. Could it be a part of the conspiracy to destroy the company from a rival?

Unlikely, she mused. If that was the case, it would have been better to go for the president. It was more direct and the result would be quick and beneficial since the share was likely to drop.

Her mother, on the other hand, was a housewife. She had her own social circle but did not seem like the outgoing type. And she'd been remarried to County Commissioner Tozawa Yasuo three years after her divorce, while her ex-husband remained single.

Kyoko sighed. Looks like she needed to play politics in this, and she did not have the slightest interest to do so.

Pushing the thought aside, she continued.

Izumi Mai debuted last year, 2018, at the age of twenty-one, as a model. Kyoko called up visual and the victim's face was brought up on the screen immediately. She was young and pretty, with flaming red hair, rosy cheeks and a pair of brown eyes. She'd participated in a few fashion shows, photo shoots, commercials, and acted in a drama with Tsuruga Ren, albeit not the protagonist.

_Tsuruga Ren…What's your connection in this?_

She read the reports again and picked them apart, looking for holes that she'd missed. She took out a paper and wrote a To-Do List.

_Interview Tsuruga Ren_

_Interview the neighbors (witnesses?)_

_Revisit the crime scene_

_Trace evidences_

_Look for more connections (Family/Friends/Enemies?)_

_Have an appointment with—_—_ _—_ _—_ _

She was almost done when her desk-communicator blipped. She glanced up and heard her commanding officer's voice filled the room.

"Lieutenant."

"Commander." She straightened her sitting posture even though she can't be seen.

"I'm sorry to disturb you outside of working hours." The apologetic tone in Sawara Takenori's voice was clear.

"No, sir. It's alright."

"Tomorrow there will be a meeting in my office, with the Chief, at eight o'clock." He paused. "The parents would be there to meet you, and the Commissioner too."

She rubbed her eyes resignedly. _Should have seen this coming_.

"Lieutenant, there's also a press conference scheduled at nine, in front of the building. You'll be briefed"

"A press conference, sir?" She asked, confused.

"Yes. The Chief and I will be there too. Izumi Mai was a public figure and her death had caused an uproar. The media had asked to speak with the primary." He said calmly.

She frowned. "Yes, sir. I'll be there on time."

"Good."

And there was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "Off duty, Kyoko-san. For God's sake get some rest. You sound like one that'd been ran over by a car."

She stared at the communicator, stunned by his remark. "I—I'm very sorry, sir. Bu—"

"I said off duty, Kyoko-san. I'm not the Commander now. This case came to you almost immediately after your previous one. You need to rest."

"I—I hadn't have the time." She stammered.

"Well, then make time."

"I—"

"It's an order, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir."

When the transmission clicked off, she just simply sat there and stared at it, wondering what to do.

As a police, she would follow the "order", but deep inside, her heart was warmed by the concern that had been shown to her. Sawara Takenori was one of the cops who'd helped to bring her family justice. He'd been kind to her, a child who was left with nothing. For that, she would be grateful and remember it for the rest of her life.

Smiling, she rose to head toward her bedroom. The previous case was complicated, leaving her in exhaustion and the dream hadn't been kind to her.

The moment her head hit the pillow, she was engulfed by the darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, 0730 hours.<strong>

She swung by the morgue before heading to the station since it was just a stone's throw away. The morning air was cold and misty but the morgue was colder. The stench of death hung in the air, like thick clouds would on a rainy day, mixing with the smell of detergents. It was unpleasant, one of the things she couldn't get used to despite being in the force for six years.

Amamiya Chiori was waiting for her.

"Morning, sir." She smiled.

"Morning. So how's the cross-check?" She said, walking through the entrance.

"Hmm…Izumi Mai's name didn't pop, so I focused on the killer. I'd gathered the list of names across the country and eliminated females, elders and teenagers. Which got me down to…thirty-eight names."

Kyoko's eyes narrowed. "We need something better than that. If luck's on our side, then perhaps we will find him among those names. But if it was our victim who bought the candles using cash, then it's a waste of time."

"Yes. But I have a feeling that it was the killer who bought them. I mean…it was a ceremony—"

"We're not sure of that."

"But it looked that way, right? So if we follow this assumption, then he would be the one who bought them because he needed those. He needed the candles to complete the ceremony or ritual. The theory of him finding the candles in the suite coincidentally is too…opportunistic." Chiori said.

"Good. Give me those names later and we'll do another round of elimination." She scanned her ID.

"Yes, sir."

The door opened and she walked in to find Fuwa Sho removing a liver from a male body.

"Oh god, I haven't had my breakfast yet." Chiori gasped.

As for Kyoko, she stood her ground, although the sight in front of her was a little off-putting. It was another thing that she had never felt comfortable with. "Me neither."

Once again, she wondered why Fuwa had chosen this job.

"Liver belongs in the body, Fuwa Shotaro."

The man glanced up and glared at her behind the protective goggles which Kyoko deciphered as _It's Fuwa Sho, you idiot._

"And Homicide cops belong in the station."

She gave a nonchalant shrug and walked over to lean against the sink.

"I want your take on the unidentified chemical."

Sho took off the gloves and washed his hands. "It's still undergoing analysis processing."

"I know. But the result would be slow. And I have a meeting with the Chief and Commander at eight. I need something."

Pushing up the goggles, he spoke, "Well, based on the report, it consists of three types of drugs. My take on it would be: Ecstasy, PCP and a very small amount of Toprol."

Kyoko frowned. "Wouldn't that be…deadly?"

"Not if it's in a controlled amount."

"Two of them are illegals." Chiori commented.

Sho nodded. "Yes. Ecstasy is a semi-synthetic psychedelic entactigen of the—".

"Human, Fuwa. Explain in human language." Kyoko's interrupted.

Sho crossed his hands. "That is your problem, woman, for your lack of knowledge in the chemical field."

"I'm a cop, Fuwa Shotaro. My job is to find out who did this. Not bumping my head into some weird incomprehensible chemical words."

His eyes flashed with annoyance. "You—"

"Hey, hey. Meeting at eight, remember?" She paused. "Sir?" Chiori's eyes drifted nervously between the two of them. Her partner was never in-tune with the handsome blond and they seemed to share a mutual dislike for each other.

And now this, she rolled her eyes, a childish debate over an explanation. She had to wonder why.

Surprisingly, the blond gave in first.

"Fine. I've got works to do too. Ecstasy is one of the common club drugs, heightens one's senses of feeling, elevates the pulses and often used with sex. On the other hand, phencyclidine, PCP, is a dissociative drug, commonly known as Angel Dust. It has potent effects on the nervous system, causing individuals to have confused thinking, delusions, become detached and animated."

"Since those two were used to increase her heart rate, Toprol was used to balance the speed and pressure. It is a legal, over-the-counter type, commonly used in sleeping pill. With these three drugs together under the correct composition, the girl would be very weak, but conscious."

"Sleeping pill, you said. So there could be other substance other than Toprol, right?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes, that's a possibility. But my bet is on Toprol. It's stronger than the others, enough to keep down Ecstasy and PCP.

"Alright." She checked her watch. Seven-fifty. Just nice.

"Thank you for you time, doctor." She said mockingly whilst walking toward the door with Amamiya.

"I suggest you take the heart out from Mr. Body and put it in yours." She paused. "Since you have none."

With that, she walked out the door with a grin on her face.

She won.

* * *

><p><strong>0800 hours.<strong>

She and her partner were sitting in the Commander's office when the Commissioner and Izumi Mai's parents arrived.

"Good morning, Commissioner, Izumi-san, Tozawa-san." Takarada Lory gestured to the three of them. "I believe you'd met Commander Sawara Takenori. This is Lieutenant Mogami Kyoko and her partner, Detective Amamiya Chiori. They are heading the investigation of your daughter. I am very sorry for your loss."

The woman rushed forward and gripped Kyoko's hands. "Please find the monster who did this to my daughter." Her grip hardened. "Please."

Kyoko looked at the woman, and all she saw was a grieving mother. Her skin was pale and her eyes were puffy and full of tears.

"I will find out who did this, Tozawa-san. I will. Please sit down." She led the woman to one of the guest chairs and signaled to Amamiya for water.

"I—I talked to her on that night." Tozawa Itsumi's voice quavered. "Before she attended the dinner. She was so happy, so excited."

"Did she talk to you about who was she having the dinner with?"

"No…Not really. She said it was going to be a surprise. She said it was perfect, it was all she ever hoped for. And I told her to tell me all the details on the next day." Her eyes swirled with disbelief and grief. "We were going to meet in the morning, the next day. She was coming to our house. She—She—" Her voice hitched. "She never made it."

Tozawa Yasuo sat beside his wife and draped an arm around her trembling shoulders.

"She was a good girl. We—We shouldn't have let her moved out. We shouldn't—"

Yasuo took his wife's hand and gripped it tightly. "Itsumi."

Her lips trembled. "It was our fault. We left her. We left her alone."

"No." Kyoko reached forward to her. "No, Tozawa-san. It's not your fault. You're not responsible for this, the man who did this is. I'm going to find him and you can help me."

"…How?" Grief and guilt burned in her eyes.

"By telling us what you know about your daughter. It would be useful."

Itsumi looked up to her husband for support, and nodded. "Yes…Yes I will. I will do that."

She started to ask questions. And from the corner of her eyes, she saw the Chief and Commander talking to the girl's biological father, Izumi Masaki. She heard they'd been closed.

A man who lost his daughter, she thought.

She'd promised to find the killer, but it would never be enough. Their daughter won't come back, and they have to live with the grief for the rest of their lives.

Itsumi broke down again after all the questioning and Kyoko had Chiori lead her out for fresh air.

Izumi Masaki walked over to stand in front of Kyoko. His face was solemn.

"What have you done to find the man who had killed my daughter?" He demanded. He was a well built man about six-four, his hair was dark with a hint of grey, his eyes were brown, and she could see grief and anger in them.

Yasuo patted a hand on his shoulder. "Masaki, it's not—"

"What progress have you made?" He pinned his gaze on her.

Meeting his eyes, she stood up and spoke. "We're currently gathering evidence and interviewing the residents of the building. We have a list of names of those who'd purchased one of the evidences. We're doing crosscheck with others she met before the incident."

Before he could form a reply, the Commissioner intervened. "You have to let them do their jobs, Masaki. It's the only way to help Mai."

His eyes swamped with tears the moment his daughter's name was mentioned. "I—I'm sorry. I'll be going." With his hand pressed onto his eyes, he turned and headed for the door.

"Commander." Tozawa Yasuo's voice was stern and cool. He was more composed than Izumi Masaki. "I believe in your confidence in your officers, I hope I'm not wrong."

He turned to Kyoko. "Lieutenant, I hope my belief in your capability and tenacity would not be gone to waste. Please bring her killer to justice. And Chief Takarada, I'll expect the current and future data on the investigation later. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us. We appreciate it."

"What?" Kyoko asked her superiors in surprise when Yasuo shut the door behind him. Takenori's face was puzzled and Lory had a grim expression on him.

"The data on the investigation? To him? ...Sir?" She asked again. Takarada Lory was the Chief of Police for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He was solid and those fourteen years off the field hadn't taken away the cop in him. He certainly wasn't one of those who would give in easily.

"Politics, Lieutenant, is always a pain. He is the Commissioner, and a powerful one. If you don't oblige, the chances of the case being snatched away from you is pretty high. I'm sure you don't want that."

When Kyoko nodded, he continued with a wicked smile. "And besides, His Honor the Commissioner did not mention "all" data to be presented, wasn't it? Therefore, my dear Lieutenant, I'm sure you'll know what to do."

She nodded again with a smile of her own. "Of course, Chief Takarada. I won't disappoint you."

Takenori checked his watch, and said, "The press conference is starting in ten minutes, let's go." Kyoko gathered her data and headed for the door with her superiors.

"Kyoko-chan." She jolted when Lory suddenly spoke from behind her.

"Maria had been complaining for a long time now about not seeing you. She missed her big sister very much."

Kyoko turned, embarrassed. "Ah—I was tied up during the previous case. I will—"

"There's a party tomorrow at my house, Kyoko-chan. Amamiya is invited too. Be sure to attend."

She smiled. Happiness lurched through her at the thought of seeing her little sister. She'd missed her, too.

"I'll be there."

* * *

><p><strong>0925 hours.<strong>

Lieutenant Mogami Kyoko let out a frustrated sigh in her car. Her mood was dreadful, awful, terrific, horrible, atrocious, gha—

Okay, it was bad. Very bad.

Well, she doubted that anyone could be calm and cheerful after twenty minutes of torture.

She hated press conferences.

Seriously, she should be in the field interviewing those residents, instead of standing in front of a bunch of never-stop-asking-why media reporters, leaving her partner to do the work all by herself.

She took out her cell phone.

"Amamiya, is the interview done?" She asked, feeling sorry for Chiori.

"Hmm…I need another twenty minutes."

"Alright. I'm meeting Doctor Woods later so I may be late. And Amamiya…" She gave a dramatic pause.

"Yes?"

"Please call Tsuruga Ren's manager for an appointment. We're meeting him today."

And she shut the phone call before her partner could blast her ear with her excited squeak.

* * *

><p><strong>0935 hours, Tokyo Building.<strong>

Doctor Jelly Woods was one of the most prestigious psychiatrist in the whole country. She was a prodigy and known as "The Witch" in the world of psychology. One simple conversation with her and she would have you confessing the things that you were hiding in the darkest corner of your heart. For Kyoko, she was both respectful and intimidating in that particular area.

It wasn't so much of a shock now to see her after their first meeting on a few years back. She was a pretty but unbelievably petite woman in her late thirties, with the forever-changing hairstyle and her big, round, emerald green eyes that showed understanding. She was also an outgoing and flamboyant woman, dressed in style and always seemed to have a lot of energy in her.

Most importantly, she was a friend Kyoko never thought she could have.

But now, at this very moment, the department's criminal profiler was scowling at her with a hand on her hips.

"Kyoko-chan! I haven't seen you for such a long time! How could you not answer my calls? How could you?" Jelly ranted as she continued scowling.

"—Ah! My phone was crushed during the previous case, it was destroyed …completely." Kyoko looked at her and blinked.

"You. Could. Have. Given. Me. The. New. Number." She was glaring now.

"I—um—"

"You'd forgotten." She sighed when Kyoko blushed in embarrassment at being caught.

"That aside. You're going to the party at darling's house tomorrow, right?"

And not to mention the weird but hilarious relationship between the doctor and the Chief of Police. They had been like that even before Kyoko knew them. She could not comprehend it at all.

"I'm going."

"Good. So, is this about the recent case? I'd seen you on the news just now." Jelly resumed to her seat behind the desk. Business-mode.

"Yes " Kyoko handed a file to her and she began reading.

After a few minutes of silence, she spoke. "Angry but smart; meticulous and cautious. A throat wound this deep required anger. He did it face-to-face. He needed to see the life being drained away from her, it was important to him, like a symbol. He was angry with her for something, perhaps a revenge. But at this stage I could not say if the anger was directed only to her or to all women. And I believe his use of white candles wasn't accidental. He planned it out, and took into account every detail."

"Ritual killing?"

"No. I don't believe I'd seen this type of ritual. But it was indeed a ceremony from his perspective. The white candles meant something to him. White represented purity, he may used them in a sarcastic way to state the girl wasn't pure anymore. And he had patience, he knew the victim, took his time to make out her habits, hobbies and routines. He chose her, targeted her specifically."

"He raped her."

Jelly nodded. "When she was under the influence of drugs, unable to fight back. He had sex with her to degrade her status. If the hatred was directed to all women, I would say the perpetrator had an unpleasant past experience with women, probably female figure of authority, since the victim was a high profile public figure. And he wouldn't be able to maintain a long term, intimate relationship with a woman."

"But there wasn't any forced entry. The victim let him in voluntarily, she knew him, trusted him enough to open the door for him. Based on my meeting with the parents, she was cautious. He must had developed a relationship with her, in order for her to do that."

Jelly folded her hands on the table. "Temporary, I would say. I bet he's not bad looking, perhaps a real charmer. The victim was always surrounded by artists, models, producers. The people of fame. Yet he was able to blend into the environment, approached her, and tricked her into believing him romantically. As I said, he had patience. He was capable of doing that."

"So, from what you see, do you think he'd done it before?"

"Very likely. The wound was precise, he'd practiced. The scene was nicely staged. From the position of the victim, the lightning, to the candles. He was calm, knew what he was doing, and took pride in his work, displaying her like that."

"I'll look at similar crimes. He's not stupid, so I think he didn't start from Tokyo, had to be somewhere else."

"Agreed. And Kyoko-chan, it was not his first, and it won't be the last."

"I know." She stood up and bowed. "Thank you for your time, Jelly-san. I'm going to fetch Amamiya."

Jelly rose and went to hug her briefly. The memory of their first meeting washed through her head. This poor girl was broken at that time, helpless and alone. Although it took her a great deal of time to convince her into accepting the world again, it was worth it.

She looked into Kyoko's golden eyes and smiled brightly. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

* * *

><p><strong>1030 hours, Fuji Studio.<strong>

"The company is really something, bumped my call here and there and ended up saying they have no time for this."

"Tsuruga Ren is an important man, too busy yada yada yada~~~"

"And the manager too, "His schedule is packed and I'm afraid he has no time for this." What? It's a murder investigation! No time? Hah!"

"Wasted my time for—"

"Amamiya, stop babbling now or I'll have you walk back to the station." Kyoko said coolly, with both hands tucked in her pockets.

"But sir! They—" She shut up instantly when her Lieutenant turned to stare at her.

"That is why we're here right now." She grinned. "Without notice."

"Surprise, surprise." Chiori muttered.

They came to a stop when a door which had a tag written [The Last Message] on it appeared in front of them.

Kyoko frowned. "This…is the ongoing drama, am I right?"

"Yes! Yes! This is about—"

"The title is screaming tragedy to me."

"Yes! You're right! It's about Tsuruga Re—"

"Why don't you walk back now."

Chiori's eyes widen. "Eh? Okay! Alright! I will…I will behave. I promise!" She pouted.

"Fine." And she pushed open the door.

No one on set had noticed the presence of the two strangers as they entered. The set was unnaturally quiet, everyone seemed to have frozen on his or her spot. And Kyoko soon realized they were captured by the scene before them.

Following their gaze, she saw Tsuruga Ren.

There he was in front of the camera in a white suit and black slacks that were perfectly tailored to fit his tall and rangy body. He was standing alone, looking down at the woman who was laying lifelessly on the bed. His attractive face gave away nothing but you could see the emotions that swirled in them if you looked closely into his blue eyes. The mixture of guilt, pain and grief was clear, and so powerful that the sight itself would break your heart.

He bent down beside the bed and held the woman's hand in his.

"Mieko." He spoke softly. "I'm sorry." He held her hand tightly, his voice trembled. "I'm late, Mieko. I'm sorry." And a tear trickled down his cheek as he pressed his face against her hand. "I'm sorry."

"Cut!"

He raised his head, then without warning, he turned to look at Kyoko, his blue eyes burning into hers.

His eyes were beautiful, she thought, clear like a crystal; bluer than the sea. And their intensity was too strong to be ignored.

But she had work to do.

"I need to talk to you, Tsuruga Ren."

* * *

><p><strong>1100 hours.<strong>

They were sitting in his dressing trailer alone as Kyoko had Chiori to interview his manager, Yashiro Yukihito, in the other room.

He had changed into a casual T-shirt and a pair of jeans, sitting with his legs crossed, looking very much at home. She hated to admit that even a simple pose like this from him looked enticing.

She shifted in her seat and showed him her badge. "I'm investigating the murder of Izumi Mai."

He nodded, "I heard about Izumi-san on the news. I'd figured you would contact me sooner or later, Lieutenant. But I must say, I'm surprised to see you here."

"It was a difficult task to reach you, Tsuruga-san."

He smiled slightly. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience I'd caused. I'd been busy."

"You're a celebrity, Tsuruga-san. It'll be easier to have the interview here. But if you prefer to have a formal one at the station, it could be arranged."

"Since you're already here, Lieutenant. Let's not waste time."

"Good." Kyoko took out a recorder from her pocket.

"How did you know Izumi Mai?"

"I met her two months ago at a perfume commercial. She was my partner."

"Did the both of you kept in contact?"

"Briefly." He calmly sipped his tea.

"You had dinner with her few hours before her death."

He frowned. "No."

Kyoko's brow lifted. "Her manager had stated that she had the victim's confirmation on the morning of that day. She said it was you."

"It was me, yes. But…" He hesitated, a hint of redness appeared lightly on his cheeks.

"But?" She prompted.

"She stood me up."

And who would believe that? She simply stared at him.

He sighed. "It's the truth, Lieutenant. She did not attend the dinner."

"Do you know why?"

"No. She just left me a voicemail, said that she was sorry and couldn't make it."

Really? She thought. He was tranquil, without any signs of anxiety and agitation. His face gave away nothing.

"Did you call her?"

"Yes. But it took me straight to voicemails."

"How many."

"Four. You could check the logs."

"I will. Then what did you do?"

"I had my dinner at the restaurant, then went home."

"Time?"

"Hmm…" Sipping his tea again, his mind drifted. "I would say it was around nine."

"Did you go out after?"

"No."

"Why?" She demanded.

"I was feeling unwell and decided to take some rest." And he spoke again before she could, looking straight into her eyes. "How old are you…Lieutenant?"

"That is not the issue here." It was sheer pride that stopped her from shifting her gaze.

"Did anyone tell you that you're beautiful, Lieutenant?" He looked at her, and once again his blue eyes sent her pulse racing.

"Please act appropriately, Tsuruga-san. Can you tell me where you were the night of her death, between 11:45 and 2:00 AM?"

"I have never seen a cop quite like you before. A woman so young to have such achievement. Must be something." Amused, he continued to stare at her.

"Are you questioning my capability in conducting this interview?"

"No."

She stared back at him, obviously annoyed. "Then you better start answering my question, Tsuruga Ren. It is your alibi that's at risk here."

"Are you worried about me, Mogami-san?" Idly, he sipped the tea again.

She eyes turned steel cold as she leaned forward. "You want to play, Tsuruga Ren? Then we'll have the interview at the station. Bring your attorney if you like."

Years of experience being an actor had taught him how to read people's expressions. It was fascinating to see her demeanor changed. Her golden eyes shifted from annoyed to cold in a matter of seconds. He wondered what more she could do but decided not to push his luck too far.

"I was at my house, sleeping."

She pulled back, the anger still stirred inside of her. She doesn't have the slightest interest at being teased. It made her feel stupid.

She would get back at him, she thought. "Do you have anyone with you during that timeframe?"

"I was alone."

"Did you speak to anyone, see anyone?"

"None that I recall."

"Then I will need the security discs of your house."

"Certainly."

"Please make no plans to leave the country until further notice."

"That won't be a problem."

She handed him a card. "Contact this number when you've cleared it. I will send a uniform to collect—" She stopped when he lifted a hand.

"My next job is two hours later, so I'm going back right now." He rose and took the jacket on the table.

"Why don't you come with me? Lieutenant."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Ate too much chocolate, sore throat *sobs* And I felt like I'd undergone a chemistry lesson on illegals and psychology stuff when I wrote this. My head was spinning... *You spin my head right round, right round~~~~~*

Ok, back to business. Do you think Ren will be out of the suspect list so fast? *grin*

And thank you to all who'd reviewed, faved, and alerted this story. Arigato-gosaimatsu xDDD


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not SkipBeat!

Special thanks to **Elfnftzu** for beta-reading even when he was suffering from chicken-pox *laugh* (and still is). So I'm wishing him luck for speed recovery ne~~~

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**Saturday, 1800 hours.**

Kyoko had filed all her reports to her Commander, the Chief and returned home. She was tired after visiting a few stores for the candles, finding a match for the murder weapon, doing follow-ups on every names that came up and more interviews.

Especially the one with Tsuruga Ren.

She did not go to his house like he'd hoped. She simply sent an officer to collect the security disc and his phone's transmission log, which were now sitting silently on the desk in her home office.

She brought up his profile on her computer screen, and contemplated.

He was a mysterious man with an unknown past. However, no man in this world would have a life now without a past. It was there, just that it was buried. Deep. If it was needed for the investigation, then she would have to dig it out.

He was confident and cocky during the interview. His smile did not reach his eyes, he was playing around the edges of words and making a damn great effort to annoy her with his imprudently polite tone. But she remembered his face when she'd declined the offer, and that made her smiled a little.

Well, if he thought that every woman on earth was going to melt at the sight of him and throw themselves at his feet, he needed to think again.

She was about to run the security discs when the doorbell buzzed.

"Kyoko-san!" Chiori grinned widely as she held up the bags in her hands. "Dinner and supper. I suppose we'll be working late."

She took one of the bags. "Thank you then. I wouldn't say no to food." Her brow then lifted questionably. "The portions are quite big for just the two of us though."

"Make it three." A familiar voice came through and Kyoko found herself looking at her best friend, Kotonami Kanae, who was leaning idly against the doorframe.

Her eyes brightened with delight. "Kanae! I thought you're coming back tomorrow?"

"Well, the case ended earlier and I'm more at ease in Tokyo." She paused briefly. "So, am I welcome or not?"

"Sure." Kyoko chuckled and went to hug her friend. "I missed you, Kanae."

Kanae smiled wickedly. "Well, I'm touched, but no present for that. And don't get all sentimental on me, we'll start off with the dinner now, I haven't eaten anything since I stepped foot on the airport." She walked past them and into the apartment.

Chiori followed suit and flashed a Cheshire cat grin at her lieutenant.

"The pasta is mine."

* * *

><p><strong>1800 hours.<strong>

Alone, Ren hunkered over the report that was brought to him by his manager, Yashiro.

_Father: Mogami Tatsuya_

_Remarried to Mori Saena in 2004, had a daughter in 2005, named Mogami Akira. All three were murdered in 2007. _

_Mother: Mogami Ayuki (Ikeda Ayuki)_

_Killed in a hit-and-run on 6__th__ of June in 2002. Dead on scene_

_Name: Mogami Kyoko_

_Date of Birth: 25-12-1994_

_ID: 802674-03-JLP_

_Address: #15-02, Lancoff Building, West Tokyo, 52693._

_Taken by Child Protection Service in 2007, ended up in the foster system some time after, and remained. Enlisted in the National Police Academy in 2012, 18-year-old. Graduated 9 months later with highest achievement. Joined the police force in November, 2012. Served as General Police Officer (Street) initially, then recruited to Homicide Department by Commander Sawara Takenori in 2013._

_Promoted to Police Detective in 2014. ._

_Promoted to Sergeant in 2016._

_Promoted to Lieutenant in 2019._

He closed the file and rubbed at his eyes.

_Is that what made her who she is now?_ A fine and solid cop. A tough woman.

He'd been taken aback by her past, which was similar in some way to his own. He had a past he didn't want to remember, a past so dark that he wanted to erase it completely from his memory and his life.

Life hadn't been fair, he thought. He knew the corrupted sides of the society long before a kid knew the existence of money. He had walked in them, roamed in the dark alleys of the world long enough to know what cops were like. He hated them, they were just a bunch of liars who hid behind the mask of justice to besmirch the world, used the words "serve and protect" for their filthy businesses. Justice was not there, not for him, but for those who had the status, the power and the money to buy it.

So when the people who were supposed to protect had turned their backs on him, what was he left to do?

Sipping his wine, his gaze returned to the photo of Mogami Kyoko.

However, he mused, she had taught him different. Being a man with his status and fame, he was used to seeing women throwing themselves at him, desiring his attention. Unlike the others, this woman knew her job. Being a cop, she was both intelligent and stubborn, responsible for her work and let nothing else distract her.

_She'd chosen the other route to become who she is._

She was a good cop, he thought, because he'd seen the pity in her eyes when she mentioned Izumi Mai. She did not treat her as a subject for her job, like she was just another body count, but she _felt_ for her, too.

And he was overwhelmed by her knowledge and something had—unknowingly—stirred in him that he hadn't felt in too many years to count.

* * *

><p><strong>1900 hours, Kyoko's Apartment.<strong>

The three of them sat in Kyoko's home office.

"So, the case had gone well then?" Chiori asked, biting on an apple.

"It ended in my favor, although Kobayashi Erika did a great job in having two psychiatrists declare her insane." Kanae smirked. "But I'm better."

Oh yes, she was better, Kyoko thought, if not the best. Kotonami Kanae was a successful public prosecutor, the legal party who was responsible for presenting a case in a criminal trial against those who had been accused. She'd worked with the station, especially with the Homicide department, on several occasions.

Besides, she'd come to befriend Kyoko when she was a trainee. Loopholes were found in the judicial system but they chose to believe in it. It may not balanced the scale but it was the best they had for now. Their jobs were to tie criminals to justice and put them behind the bars.

They were the best at what they do.

"She was not?" Kyoko asked.

"Definitely not. Her mind was as clear as the Caucasian Sea. She just did that to get her husband's attention."

Chiori's eyes filled with disgust instantly. "Drowned her own daughter for just that?"

"Well…Yes." She shrugged.

Kyoko sighed. "The world is sick, Chiori." She turned to sit behind her desk. "Come on, let's get to work."

A few moments later, they looked at the monitor with their brows creased.

"He lied."

Chiori pointed to the screen which the security disc from Tsuruga Ren's house was playing. "He left the house at 7 p.m. and came back at three."

Kyoko nodded. "It contradicts with his statement."

"I'll push through a warrant for you. Figure you'll want to settle this now." Kanae took out her laptop and started to dial a number on her phone.

"Chiori, take a look on the transmission log. He said Izumi Mai had left him a voicemail. I think it'll be around seven o'clock." She turned to Kanae, "I need another warrant to get the restaurant's security disc."

"Consider it done."

Chiori shook her head. "There's no voicemail or any calls from her." She paused, and looked at Kyoko questionably. "And why would he lie to you if he knew you'd check them?"

"Maybe he's stupid." Kanae said.

"Or he's just too arrogant for it." Kyoko said, putting on her harness and walked to the door.

"Either way, we're going to find out."

* * *

><p><strong>2000 hours. Tokyo Police Headquarters. Homicide Department. Interview Room 1.<strong>

"Interview with Tsuruga Ren, regarding case number H-1520, in Interview Room 1. Date is April 17, 2020, time is eight o'clock in the evening. The interview to be conducted by Lieutenant Mogami Kyoko and Senior Police Detective Amamiya Chiori." She paused, and looked at the man who sat beside the actor.

"Is Yashiro Yukihito your chosen representative?"

"Yes." Ren said.

"Personal attorney?"

"Not at this time."

"Warrant had been issued to search your house. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you said can and will be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand you rights and obligations?"

"Yes."

"Amamiya, please display evidence disc 1520-A."

The wall screen flicked on and Chiori fast-forwarded the video until her partner held up a hand. "Pause. Please notice the time display, Tsuruga-san. You left your house at seven, is that correct?"

"Yes."

Kyoko nodded, and watched a frown formed on Ren's face as the disc continued to play on the screen. "Wait a—"

"You did not go back to your house until three in the morning, Tsuruga-san. The evidence showed contradicted your previous statement."

"No, I—"

"By giving false statement, you would be charged with obstruction to justice and sentenced to one year in prison."

Ren closed his eyes. "Wait. The disc was tampered. I went back at nine."

She cocked her head. "Amamiya, display evidence disc 1520-B on screen two." She glanced at him. "The restaurant's."

Chiori stopped at one section and said, "You walked out from it at eight-forty-five. Where did you go after? And where were you between the moment you left the restaurant till three in the morning?"

"I went home, detective. I was asleep at around eleven to five-thirty on the next day."

"The evidence showed different, Tsuruga-san. I suggest you tell us the truth."

"I am telling the truth, Lieutenant." He looked at her. "I don't know why, but I'm sure the disc was doctored."

"Really? Then let's look at the transmission log of your phone, shall we?" She opened the file and showed it to him.

She saw anger and frustration built up in his eyes.

"Well?"

He could feel the temper rising in him. "It's all wrong. Someone, Lieutenant, someone…changed all of these." He folded both hands on the desk. "To frame me."

Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"I do not know."

"From the security discs of your house and the restaurant, to your cell's transmission, that is a lot of works, Tsuruga-san. Who would go through all the trouble to pin this on you?"

"I have no idea."

"Because you went to her suite." She leaned forward. "To kill her."

His eyes hardened and his body rigid with rage. She could feel anger and frustration rolling off of him like waves lapping up the shore, breaking and forming. "I did not kill her."

"Then how do you explain the security discs?" She said coldly.

"Like I said," His tone was strained with temper. "Someone changed the content. I did not kill Izumi Mai."

"You—"

Yashiro interrupted. "Lieutenant."

"What?" She turned to look at him.

"According to the law of rights, Ren could request an official examination on the disc and logs for any faults."

When she opened her mouth to say something, Kanae—who was observing the interview from the protective screen—talked into the headpiece.

"He's right, Kyoko. According to human rights, he could do that."

She smiled thinly. "Alright, request granted." She began to stalk out the room when Amamiya collected the file. "The interview is ended at this time on a request from the subject's representative. Tsuruga Ren will be questioned again when the examination is done. You may leave now."

"Wait." Ren said. His voice was calmer now, but she could feel the temper beneath.

She stood where she was, keeping her eyes on him. "Is there anything you want to add?"

His head lifted and he looked directly into her eyes. "Do you believe I killed her?"

"It depends on the evidences."

"And if I did?"

This time, she looked into his eyes. Hers turned horribly cold.

"Then I'll make sure you pay for it."

* * *

><p><strong>2130 hours.<strong>

She was driving when she contacted the Head of Electronics Department—Captain Kijima Hidehito—one of her seniors in the force, with her vehicle's communicator.

"This is Kijima Hidehito. I'm busy and currently unavailable to answer your call, please leave a message."

"Kijima-san, this is Mogami Kyoko. I need one of your department's best E-man for an ongoing investigation at the Station tomorrow at eight. Thank you."

When the transmission clicked off, Kyoko muttered, "Busy huh."

Chiori snickered. "I'm betting on my lifetime properties that he's playing one of those bed games he loves with an unfortunate woman."

"It's a common knowledge in the Station that he likes women…a lot." Kyoko smiled. "But he knows electronics, so that will do."

"I think it broke his heart a little when you turned him down. It put a black mark on his record."

"You too."

Chiori laughed. "Well…Then he knew better than to hit on Homicide's women."

"Lesson learnt." She shrugged. "So, any luck on the sweeping?"

Chiori shook her head. "No. Nothing too suspicious, no candles, no illegals, nothing. But they took some potential murder weapons back to the lab."

"Okay, how many names do we have for the candles?"

"Twenty."

"Better. We'll cross check with the names from the father and the Commissioner. Although I highly doubt the chances, let's just get this done to eliminate one of the angles, so we can focus on another."

"Which is…?" Chiori asked, uncertain of what was her partner thinking.

"If Tsuruga Ren was telling the truth, that means our victim didn't tell her mother or her manager about this mysterious man she was meeting."

"…So?" Chiori blinked.

"Women always feel more comfortable to discuss private matters with their girlfriends. So we'll have a talk with her best friend tomorrow." She took a turn to the right and stopped in front of a building.

"We'd checked the transmissions from all of her units. There's only one from her to Tsuruga Ren regarding the dinner and none from him to her. She didn't contact anyone or get any calls from other people beside her mother, her friends and her manager three days before she was killed. All females." Chiori fumbled with her bag.

"Ah! I left the supper at your place."

"Then I'll say thank you for buying me supper."

Chiori pouted. "You wouldn't see me tomorrow as I'd starved to death tonight."

"Think of it as a diet. You'll thank me."

Her shoulders slumped. "Yeah right." Then stepped out from the car. "Thanks for bringing me back."

"It's okay. We'll talk to Ishibashi Hikaru from the Illegals Department tomorrow, too. It's going to be a long day, looks like we're going to hit the alleys."

Chiori rolled her eyes. "My personal favorite."

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, 0725 hours.<strong>

The streets in Tokyo on a Sunday morning were quiet and peaceful. The trees on the sidewalk were a healthy green and swaying lightly with the morning breeze. As usual, food-cart operators and vendors had found themselves a spot at the roadside, standing behind the smoke from grills and pots, waiting for customers.

Just another day in a life, she thought.

The green light had just turned to red when her communicator blipped.

"Dispatch, Lieutenant Mogami Kyoko. Incident at Twenty-Four, Thirty-Two East Side Mizuho. Homicide. Female."

A sick feeling churned in her, and she took a few steadying breaths before answered. "Dispatch, I'm in the West side right now, will be arriving in thirty minutes."

"Received, Lieutenant. Status will be noted."

With that, she switched on the siren and made a 180-degree turn to head for the said location.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Produced by me when I was under the influence of flu meds, hope it's not too bad =)

More characters will pop out in the next chapter~

Thanks for all the reviews! And thanks for those who'd taken your time to review, alert and fave. Thanks xDDD


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat!

Thanks to **elfnftzu** for beta-reading =)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4 <strong>

**Sunday, 0755 hours, East Side Mizuho**

Kyoko showed her badge to the officer, lifted the barrier tape, and walked towards the bedroom.

This time, she knew what to expect.

There were white candles at every corner of the room, some were half-burned, and some were just bundles of dead wax. In the center of the cream-colored room, a lifeless body lay on the huge bed. The tangle of lavender and white sheets was tainted with dried bloodstains. Her hands were spread and each was tied to the headboard with rope.

Just like the first, her throat had been viciously slashed. The blood had bled down her neck, and onto her chest. The blood had splattered. Rusted bloodstains could be seen on the headboard. Her eyes were wide open, dull and glazed, like death often did to people.

It was never nice, she thought, no matter how you put it.

Fuwa Sho had arrived before her, the chief medical examiner was working over the dead body with his assistant. And her partner was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey." She called out. Although Fuwa and Shoko turned around at the same time, she was greeted with two relatively different expressions.

"Lieutenant Kyoko." Shoko said with a smile.

"So you're here. For a primary of this case, woman. You're slow." He spoke with the usual insult.

She gave a nonchalant shrug. "Well, try to drive from the west side to here under 30 minutes. You'll say different."

She moved closer to the body. "So, how's it?"

He turned back to the body with cold eyes. No matter how often he faced death, it was always difficult to accept a life had been taken away so cruelly.

"Same method. Throat slashed, with the same length and depth. The killer was very precise, severed the jugular and main artery in one move. I'll say he used the same weapon."

He pointed to the victim's arms. "It's more violent this time. There were bruises and raw marks on both wrists, she'd struggled hard."

"It's not consistent with the first. Maybe the dosage wasn't enough to keep her down for too long."

"And the rape is more brutal. The bruising and tearing at the vaginal area and inner thighs showed that it was a violent one."

He bent down to ease open the victim's mouth. Using a small pair of tongs, he extracted a small piece of fabric from her teeth and put it under the light. "He used a cloth to smother her, but not hard enough to choke her with it. From this fabric, I'll say it's from a shirt." Aki took it over and sealed it in an evidence bag, tagged for the lab.

"So he used it to prevent her from screaming."

Shoko nodded. "No point in risking being heard by the neighbors."

"Any other defensive wounds?"

"No. But I'd found some fibers under her nails. She'd fought hard."

"Probably from the killer's shirt." A voice came from the doorway and Kyoko's head turned to where her partner was standing.

"It's a good lead." She said.

Chiori crossed the room. "Yes, sir. I'd gotten the victim's data and two uniforms were talking with the neighbors."

"Okay. The data?"

"Victim was identified as Sasaki Misako, twenty-seven year old. She was an accountant for The Show Agency."

She started to walk away when they bagged the body. "The TSA? Isn't it the company Tsuruga Ren works for?"

"Yes."

She frowned. "He's definitely connected. We just need to find the connections."

"Are we going to interrogate him again?"

Kyoko thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I'm going to check on the discs first. If he was framed, then we'll need to know his life— past and present, and his knowledge to work out the suspect list. You are interviewing Izumi Mai's best friend later, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hey! Woman." She stopped in her tracks and turned around to find Fuwa Sho handing her a folder.

"The tox report. The drugs was a mixture of Ecstasy, PCP and Toprol in the ratio of 2:4:1."

"A lot of PCP." She commented.

"Slows down the response by affecting the nervous system."

"Okay, thanks." She turned to Chiori. "Who called it in?"

"Her next door neighbor. She was her jogging partner every Sunday morning. So when our victim didn't meet her at seven, she walked to her house and called."

"Where is she?"

"She lives two houses down the street from the victim's."

"Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>1100 hours. Tokyo Police Headquarters. Homicide Department.<strong>

She was back in her office after talking to the neighbor, informing the next of kin and gathering data on the victim's life. She sighed, hell of a way to start the day.

Sasaki Misako was being described as a happy, outgoing woman who was loved by her family and friends. Everyone she'd spoken to had talked highly of her, not even once had she heard a negative and ugly remark about her.

However, she was killed.

By someone who'd thought she didn't deserve to live.

Based on the statements from her friends, she had been seeing someone lately, a man whom she kept so secretly from even her family. _And why would she do that?_ Was it because the man had told her to? Or was it because it was a relationship that could not be publicized?

And there was nothing similar—physically, jobs, habits, lifestyles—between the two victims. So far, the only connection, was Tsuruga Ren.

She had informed her parents. She had witnessed the stab of the devastating news to their hearts, saw them broke into pieces, realizing their world had fallen apart. They had lost a daughter. And it was never the same anymore. Not even after she found the man who did that.

Feeling unbelievably tired, she pushed away from the desk and walked to the window.

_Just like what had been done to her_, she thought. Before that, although her stepmother never liked her, she still had a father who loved her dearly and a lovely younger sister who used to call her "onee-san" with her candy-sweet voice. After the one night, everything had crumbled. Her world had broken apart and she was forced to grow up.

She couldn't even attend their funerals because she was taken by Child Protection Service to save her from the monsters who had killed her family. And due to the law, she was shoved into the foster system after the killers had been caught, despite the effort made by Takarada Lory to appeal against the decision of the court.

Foster system was another nightmare to her. The constant shuffling in the system had made her seen the worst of human beings and the cruel side of the society. She—

The sudden knock on the door jolted her out of her reverie.

"Come in." She went back to her desk.

"Lieutenant, I'm here to report for duty." A deep voice was heard.

She glanced up. And froze.

_What the…_

The man who stood at the doorway was tall, around five-ten to eleven. His hair was dark, spike on top and a few longer strands of it fell rebelliously over his amber-colored eyes. He wore a casual white T-shirt and black pants that showed off his long legs.

"Uesugi Hiou?"

Oh, yes. The man in question was Uesugi Hiou, a detective in the Electronics Department, whose grandfather was the retired Chief of Police, Uesugi Kotetsu, and the only son of the Commander of Illegals Department, Uesugi Ryotaro. He was young, a twenty-one-year-old genius in electronics who had been appointed as civilian consultant to the Electronics Department when he was thirteen, and officially recruited into the force when he turned eighteen.

To Kijima, he was the star and his rival in electronics.

To Kyoko, he was an arrogant and smug brat who constantly annoyed her.

They had history.

When Kyoko was a rookie in the department, she was assigned to a case with Hiou being the consultant. He was reluctant to work with female at that time, and this decision just pissed him off. So he insulted, dared, and tried to scare this girl away, but she stayed. She even lectured and showed him the meaning of a true fight. The poor kid didn't stand a chance.

Later on, much to his chagrin, he was saved by this particular rookie in a gunfight that nearly cost her life.

Since then, their love-hate relationship ensued. Although they had come to acknowledge each other's capability, neither of them showed it.

She cursed inwardly when he took a chair and sat in front of her. _It's okay_, Kyoko told herself. She wasn't miffed or offended. He was good, solid, and she needed his brain on this. _Calm_...

"Well, yeah, it's me. I'd been summoned." He spread both of his arms, a mocking grin on his face. "The Captain said eight."

"There was another murder this morning. I thought you were working on other cases?"

"Not anymore. He said you want the best, so here I am." He smirked, knowing it would annoy her.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, kid. Stay in line." She handed him an evidence bag. "The prime suspect had—"

"Requested an official examination on his phone's log and house's security disc." He continued idly.

Suspicion appeared on her face. "How did you know?"

"Because I told him." Kanae walked in and sat beside Hiou. "He got the call from Kijima yesterday while I was with him. So…" She shrugged.

"Ah."

And not to forget he was her best friend's boyfriend.

All she could do was sighed. This particular information had always gave her an awful headache. Kanae was a pretty, matured, sophisticated twenty-six-year-old woman, so how on earth did this happen?

_This world is so complicated._

"Should be simple." He said, toying with the disc.

She shook her head. "If it was doctored, then the man must be a pro in this. I can't see any kinks or glitches."

"Then I'll need the department's scanner."

She looked at her watch, then grabbed her files and rose from her chair. "I don't care what you do, but I want it fast."

"I need time, Lieutenant. Minimum Forty-five." His face was grim with annoyance.

"Thirty." She put her hand on the doorknob.

"That is considerably insane." His voice was flat.

"Thirty." She snapped, and stalked out.

Hiou stared at the door incredulously for a moment, then rolled his eyes at his girlfriend. "She. Is. A. Demon."

Kanae did nothing but chuckled. "That's why she's good at what she does." Then put a hand on his arm. "Come on."

* * *

><p><strong>1120 hours. Tokyo Police Headquarters. Illegals Department.<strong>

The Illegals bullpen smelled like…illegals.

The desks were jammed, addicts were arguing with the cops, and the place was buzzing with noises that could make your head explode.

Nobody will stop taking drugs just because it's _Sunday_.

She was just about to wound her way through when a homeless addict started to shake the officer's hands off in order to escape. But it was futile, since Kyoko was there.

All she did, was put her leg out, and tripped him.

There, all done.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." The officer in-charged saluted to her.

"Welcome." She nodded and made a beeline toward the office.

She knocked. "Mogami Kyoko."

The door opened to reveal a thirty-two-year-old man who barely topped five-seven. Ishibashi Hikaru had a mane of brown hair and a smile so innocent that he looked… innocuous. But Kyoko had known him long enough to know there was a cop underneath the harmless surface. If not, he wouldn't have made Lieutenant at the age of thirty.

"Nice to see you, Kyoko-san." He gestured for her to sit. His office was noticeably messier than hers. Papers were piled up on the desk and there were boxes everywhere.

"Thanks for meeting me, Hikaru-san."

"No problem." He smiled again. "You want the names of drug dealers in this area?"

"Yes. The killer in the case I'm handling used Ecstasy and PCP on the victims."

"A mixture of those two?"

"Actually three. He added Toprol too, and spiked them with wine."

He frowned. "That's pretty risky. A person could easily get cardiac arrest if he isn't careful."

"The ratio I have is 2:4. If he has more victims in his mind, he'll need a large supply of PCP."

"I see…" He tapped his fingers on the table absently. "PCP huh…"

"Ah!" He turned around to retrieve a folder from a drawer. He opened it, pointed a finger to something on the page, and showed it to her.

"Vie Ghoul?" Her brow arched.

He nodded. "The club's name."

She still looking at the name. "Sounds like Beagle."

Amused, he let out a soft laugh. "You should talk to the owner, Kyoko-san. He is rather…strange. But fairly informative."

"Like a contact?"

"Sort of."

"He's in the business?"

"No. He's clean. There was a person called Zink who got busted in his club five years ago for selling Ecstasy, PCP and LSD. The club's license was on hold for a year because of that. Since then, he'd been keeping his club legitimate, but ears remained open for all. So if anyone's dealing with the illegals, he will know."

"Alright, I'll talk to him. Thanks for your help, Hikaru-san. I have to go now." She stood up from the chair while continued reading the data.

"Ano…Kyoko-san." Hikaru interrupted.

"Yes?" She looked up, and noticed the smile on his face seemed a little bit nervous.

"I—Urm…" He fidgeted in his seat and his gaze was drifting everywhere but at her.

_Is he blushing?_

"Hikaru-san?" She asked uncertainly.

"I—I—There's a new Italian restaurant that just opened not long ago, would you like to join me for dinner tonight?" He looked at her expectantly.

She hesitated. They had been working together in the station for a few years, so it was normal to ask a colleague out for dinner, right?

But wait a minute…_tonight?_

"I'm afraid I can't join you, Hikaru-san. I have a party to attend later." She said apologetically.

"Ah…" He looked down for a second and looked up again with the warm smile of his.

"It's okay, Kyoko-chan. Maybe next time."

"Next time." She smiled, and left.

Leaving a disappointed Hikaru behind.

* * *

><p><strong>1150 hours. <strong>

When Kyoko strolled down the hallway, she wanted her mind to focus on the things on hand, but it somehow drifted.

She was trying very hard to keep herself busy. Very busy to put off any thought she had for Tsuruga Ren. She had been focused on the other links and trails. She had forced her mind to focus on some other things, anything that could help to put the image of him to the back of her head. But when she stepped into the Electronics Department, it all came back to her.

_What if I did?_

She didn't even _know_ him. So why did his words had such an effect on her?

_What if I did?_

It mattered too much, she thought. She didn't know why, and probably didn't want to know why. But she'd heard. She'd heard the distress and hurt in his words. And she saw, the pain in his eyes. The glints of pain that swamped those blue eyes of his. They just hung in her head—like a virus—that wouldn't let go.

_What if I did?_

She must stop thinking about it.

Her heart was beating faster than usual when she saw Uesugi Hiou hunched over the keyboard.

_There is it_, she thought. If there were no signs of doctoring on the disc, she would have to take him down. She would send him into the prison. She would need to—

"Aha!"

Her pace came to an abrupt stop.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Two chapters in two days, phew~ And this is up today because _someone_ threatened me to...**shizu2 ***glare*

I really like to know what you guys think about the story, it's a motivation for me =)

So, once again, thanks to all who'd reviewed, alerted and faved. Thanks!


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer #1**: I do not own SkipBeat!

**Disclaimer #2:** I do not own The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, anywhere.

Special thanks to **Elfnftzu** for beta-reading =)

And people, there's a **_surprise_** at the A/N after the story :D

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5 <strong>

**Saturday, 2300 hours. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Tokyo.**

"Ren." He walked over to the couch where the troubled of the actor sat. "It's late now. You should rest."

"It's okay, I'm not tired. You should go." Ren turned his head and smiled at his worried manager. "I'll remember to off the lights. Don't worry."

He could tell Yashiro was scrutinizing his reaction, looking for any signs of worry and anxiety that will jeopardize his job, and of course, his life. For the past few days, his capable manager had done his best at shuffling his hectic schedule, handling press conferences and interviews while cooperating with the police for the case. Privately, they did not speak much about it.

Yashiro didn't push, he knew Ren well enough to understand the importance of privacy to the actor. He trusted him, too, and hoped that everything would go the way they wished.

"See you tomorrow then." Yashiro gave a brief nod and left the suite.

After ten minutes of silence, Ren leaned forward, grabbed the key card from the coffee table and left the hotel.

The air was warmer and thicker at night in the city. Still, it was better than the starkness of the hotel suite.

He'd walked a lot on that night.

Before he moved to the hotel, he'd walked around his study, running his fingers along the spines of books on the big wooden book rack which extended from floor to ceiling. He'd walked around his house, lost in thoughts. Thoughts about his buried past, which he'd tried to decipher himself.

Those murders, he thought, were targeted at him. The security of his house was compromised. The fortress, the sanctuary that he'd worked so hard to build for himself, was snatched away by the shadow from his past. He couldn't stay there any longer, it was not safe anymore.

Years ago he had thrown away who he was and was born anew. He feared that he would not make it. When he had proven that he could, the fear became memories. He'd done all he could to seal the past, yet there were still holes which he couldn't cover.

Someone wanted to screw up his life, and he wouldn't sit around to wait for it.

He took out his phone and dialed a series of numbers that he thought he'd forgotten. All the memories—good and bad—flowed to him when he raised the phone to his ear.

The deep voice came from the other end of the line was far too familiar. "Hello?"

His hand tightened around the phone and trembled slightly. He knew it was wrong, that he'd opened the door to some serious problems. But for now, there wasn't any other option.

"Hi, Rick. It's Kuon."

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, 1150 hours. Electronics Department.<strong>

"Oh. God. Please, Lieutenant. Can you let me do my job…in peace?" Hiou gave out an exasperated sigh and shrugged the shoulder she was leaning over.

Kyoko flicked a lazy gaze toward him. "I will let you rest in peace if you don't give me the result now."

Debating on whether to be annoyed or intimidated by her, he resumed his typing. "I need time to section the thing out and show it to you."

"I thought you said you'd found it."

"Yes I did."

Her brow arched. "Then?"

"Well, I'd be twice as fast if you'd stop breathing down my neck!"

"Okay, fine." She backed off, stalked to the window and stood beside Kanae. "You ought to teach him some anger management."

Kanae shot her a skeptical look. "I see you need them too."

She closed her eyes and leaned against the glass of the window, sighed. "Yeah. I know."

Worried by her friend's expression, Kanae continued to watch her. "You're not yourself these days. What's wrong?"

Her eyes opened.

Instead of the usual calmness, Kanae could see her eyes were swamped with fatigue, frustration and a hint of fear. Something was not right.

Feeling rather restless, Kyoko stuffed her hands in her pockets and began to pace around the room. How could she tell her best friend that every time she looked at the photos of the victims she saw her father? How could she tell her that every night she woke up to see blood on her hands? How could she tell Kanae that every night she would dream of what happened thirteen years ago?

She couldn't.

This case was too close to her past. The display, the method, the images of the knife raked through the victims' throats were too similar to her own. She had to stay focus and remain objective for the case. The victims deserved that from her, she would give them justice.

"Two women in three days. The man is moving fast, escalating. I don't know when he will strike again." She pushed a hand through her hair in frustration. "Lives are at stake here, Kanae. I can't slow down."

Kanae crossed the room and put a hand on her shoulder, only to realize how strained it was. "I'm not telling you to slow down. But I can see this case is choking you and all I want you to do is not push yourself too far. I know that every case is important to you, I know you see them as people, not only names on a report file. That's why you're such a good cop, Kyoko. You will get him, and you will stop him." She paused, searching her eyes, "but that's not it, right? There is something else that's bothering you. What is it?"

She tightened her grip when Kyoko jerked. "You have to tell someone about it, Kyoko. You are putting yourself on edge here."

Kyoko sat very still, looking at her friend while absorbing her words. "I know," she began slowly, "they—"

"Hey! Here it is!"

And then she moved away, so quickly that she could feel the air around swooshed with her abrupt movement.

She began to walk toward the desk as Kanae tugged at her arm. Her tone was serious. "If it's not me. Promise you'll talk to someone about it."

She thought about it, then gave a brief nod to her friend before turning to the screen. "Where?"

If Hiou had heard their conversation, he did not comment about it. "See the shadow here? That's the glitch. Light and fast like a moving beam."

"Yeah."

"Check the frame." He typed something on the keyboard, "it happened in a flash. Zero-point-four seconds."

"The time?" Her eyes narrowed when the data were brought on screen.

"Computer, shows timeframe on screen two, enlarge section fifteen to thirty-four." Hiou leaned back on his chair. "He left the house at seven p.m. Then," he clicked something, "the glitch happened at precisely nine-thirteen p.m."

"It's just a slight movement." Kanae murmured.

"Yes. And I had to use the department's latest model to test it. The man is unnaturally skilled in this particular area. No one would have been able to find it without the proper instrument and concentration."

"The time when it showed Tsuruga Ren was back?" Kyoko asked.

"Computer, enlarge section eighty-two to hundred-and-seventeen." He paused to type, "here, the glitch happened at three a.m., Zero-point three seconds."

Kyoko spoke, without taking her eyes off the screen. "So, if we assume he was true to his statements, then…"

"Then someone doctored the disc and altered his presence at that time." Kanae finished.

The Lieutenant turned to look at Hiou. "Was it done manually or by remote? Can you trace the source?"

His head cocked, eyes glinted with challenge. "Who are you kidding here? Of course I can." He stood up from the chair, stretched. "And the transmission wave showed it was manually done at two-forty-five."

"So he had to be there to do this?" She asked.

"Yes. The security system of Tsuruga Ren's house is considered as a high-end product on the market, with modern tamper resistor, built-in electricity meters and secure-disc. The code cannot be cracked by remote and the triggered wavelength suggested he used a handmade decoder to bypass the system. Besides," he switched the image of the screen to another. "He needed to finish the whole tampering process in fifteen minutes because the alarm system would do a laser sweep at every hour."

"So how long does it takes normally?" Kanae asked. Electronics were not her forte, all the words that were mentioned were buzzing in her head like bees. And fifteen minutes sounded a lot to her.

Hiou pursed his lips, did a mental calculation before he spoke, "with the hacking, image freezing, swapping and all, it would take at least twenty to thirty. Longer for amateur."

Kyoko frowned. "He's not an amateur then." She looked at him. "So you're sure that he was at Tsuruga Ren's house at two-forty-five?"

"Right." He nodded.

"Wait." She opened one of the folders on desk and read intently.

"The security disc from the elevator of Izumi Mai's building was back to normal at one-fifty-five a.m. It means, he went to the to Izumi's suite to kill her around eleven thirty, left the building at one-fifty-five, then went to Tsuruga Ren's house to doctor the disc at two-forty-five. Do you think it's possible?"

Kanae's head snapped up. "You're suspecting…?"

She nodded. "Yes. Izumi Mai lived in Uptown Shibuya whereas Tsuruga Ren's house is in West Tokyo. The traffic is not heavy past-midnight but the journey would take at least forty-five minutes to one hour."

Hiou sat down in front of the computer and gave some instructions. Soon, a map was brought up on screen three and the route was highlighted.

"It's still geographically possible. She was killed at one-fifteen, he left at one-fifty-five. With the fastest speed, he could manage it on time."

Kyoko pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes, yes, it's still possible. But the journey was too tedious, too rush, and it does not fit with the profile. The doctor said he was cautious, meticulous and organized. The arranged crime scene showed that he planned everything precisely. And he hit me as those who would not rush his work because he took pride in what he did and wanted his work to be displayed perfectly. Things could go wrong in a packed schedule like this, it just doesn't fit him."

Hiou shrugged, "maybe he liked the thrill."

"Thrill, yes. But he's not those who would take chances. This man liked to be in control, he wouldn't take the risk, it's not—"

"Only one way to find out then." When the three of them turned to look the origin of the voice, they saw Kijima Hidehito.

"Kijima-san?"

"Captain?"

Leaning against the doorframe, the man grinned while waving the phone in his hand. "The Commander dropped a call and said you'd need some help."

"Oh. That's great." She gestured to the bag he was holding. "What is that?"

"Since the warrant had been approved, I stopped at Tsuruga's house just now and brought all the cameras, transmitters and discs here. I'm having the team transfer the rest of the electronics."

Kyoko tapped her chin in thought. "If he's not guilty, it means someone had been following him and studied his routine for a period of time. Do you think the house is bugged?"

Kijima looked at her, and nodded. "I could send a team to do another round of sweeping."

"Okay. So what do you have in mind?"

"We'll check the input, wave and echo in the system to pick out the devices he used for the homemade decoder." He smiled, "we may be able to build you one."

Hope began to swim in her eyes as they lightened up in surprise. "You guys could do that?"

Kijima flipped his hair charismatically (from his point of view). "Call us the magicians."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Tsuruga Ren said the phone's log was doctored too. Izumi Mai had left him a voicemail before the appointed time. I need the prove."

Kijima looked at her and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well..."

"I'll continue the check on the house's discs." Hiou added quickly, and walked back to the computer.

No one, he thought, no one alive on earth would want to go through an actor's transmission log to check for kinks. The man probably has thousands of calls in just one day for work. Who knew when, or where did the killer changed the log? The job would be unbelievably dreary and tiresome, no one with a brain would want that.

Not him. Definitely not.

Kijima raised an eyebrow at his subordinate officer. "And who are you to say so?"

Unfortunate for him, the Captain was as evil as the Lieutenant, if not worse. Kijima Hidehito was a sadist who liked to torture his subordinates. Well, albeit literally, but he loved to throw all tedious works to them just to see their pained expressions—especially Hiou. _What's the fun as a superior officer if you can't do that? _Bullying him had been the new goal of Kijima's life. There was always a competition between the two, be it on electronics or life. And pouring oil to the fire, Hiou had a stunning prosecutor as his girlfriend while he had none. Just another reason to the bullying.

"Since I'd already checked on the disc, it would be easier for me to spot the faults." Hiou insisted. It was logical, right? _Oh shit…_

Kijima crossed his hands at his chest, flashed a mocking smile to Hiou. "No, my dear detective, that won't do. Since I'm the Captain, only my words would be counted." He bumped Hiou out of the chair, sat on it and dumped a folder into his arms. "Now, Detective Hiou, you'll do a run on the transmission log."

"…" He stared at his superior blankly.

"Oh, and this." Kyoko put another folder into Hiou's arms. "This is the fabric we found in the victim's mouth and the lab had identified the materials. I need you to find the manufacturer, get the purchase list for the past three months, and do a crosscheck with the names I'm sending you later."

"…" He stared at her blankly.

"Too much for a genius?" Her eyebrows rose, knowing it would annoy him.

"Not in a million years." He sneered.

"Prove me wrong then."

"Consider it done."

With that last remark, he sat down on the far-end desk with a grumpy look and started to flipped through the transmission log…violently.

One day, ONE DAY, he'll get back to them!

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, 1315 hours, Homicide Department.<strong>

Chiori filed her paperwork into the computer, let out a loud yawn, then caught sight of Matsunai Ruriko in the doorway.

"Hey."

"Hey." Ruriko answered while her eyes roamed around, searching for a chair to sit on. When she finally found one, she sat down, tucked her designer bag away and crossed her smooth legs. Her chocolate brown hair flowed behind her back in smooth curls, contrary to her fair complexion, her face was perfected in make-up and her manicured nails shone brightly under the light. Chiori supposed she always looked perfect.

"Surprise to see you here. It's Sunday." Chiori swirled around in her roller chair.

She snickered. "A job like mine? There's no weekend."

"Likewise."

"So where's the Lieutenant?" She peered towards the office.

"ED. Why?"

She let out an intelligible sound that seemed to Chiori as sigh of relief. "There's a press conference at three p.m. The information on Tsuruga Ren being a suspect was leaked."

Matsunai Ruriko was the media liaison for the Public Affairs, who were in-charged of media arrangements, internal communications, proactive communications, overseeing the force's image, multimedia production and public relations. In short, she was the one who dealt with media.

"She's not going to like it. Press conference is her nemesis." Chiori shook her head sympathetically.

Ruriko looked at Chiori for a long time before she stood up from the chair. "Yeah, I know. So..." She patted Chiori's shoulder as her mouth twitched into a sly smile, "I'm going to leave the most important task to you, Amamiya-san."

And left.

Chiori's eyes widen in terror. "Wh—What? Wait, wait, wait!"

Her legs were halfway through the doorway when her Lieutenant stepped in.

"Amamiya, please inform Tsuruga Ren to come for another interview."

Poor Chiori was having a hard time to digest the information, her mind was simply too busy processing the previous bombshell that Ruriko had thrown to her.

_The press conference...Tell her now? Later? Now? Later?_

She risked a glance to her superior.

...

_Later._

She swallowed hard and stared. "Urm...When?"

"Now."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I'm sorry that this is a short chapter as my college examination is approaching. I promise the next chapter will be longer =)

**A/N#2:** Thanks to **supergirl10** for emailing me her suggestions on making this story interactive. Okay, it goes like this: **YOU (yes, don't look away, it's you my dear readers) could give me a "prompt" for the every next chapters in your reviews, and I'll choose one among all to write from.**

_For example:_ **"A cat"**. Then I'll write a new chapter which consists the prompt. You could give me a "situation" too, and I'll try my best to blend it into the story. It's unbelievably challenging and fun! So come on, don't be shy and leave me your idea :DDD

**A/N#3:** Thank you for those who'd taken your time to review, fav, alert this story. They're highly motivating for me =)


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